Locking mechanism for loose leaf post binders



c. A. FINLEY 1,843,871

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR LOOSE LEAF POST BINDERS Feb 2, 1932.

Filed June 24, 1927 INVENTOR CHARLES A.F|NLEY Patented Feb. 2, 1932 UNITE:

PATENT OFFICE CHARLES A. FINLEY, or RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB- 'ro BOOR'UM & rEAsE COMPANY, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK LOCKING MECHANISM FOR LOOSE LEAF POST BINDERS Application filed June 24,

This invention relates to loose'leaf post binders and more particularly to the type in which the posts are gripped by means of endwise movement of a rod lying longitudinally a in the upper clamping bar and carrying clutches. One object of the invention is to produce a simple, .cheap and efiective construction and another object of the invention is to produce a type of locking mechanism which can be made in any number of different sizesfrom one stockof parts.

In the drawings; r

. Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, longitudinally through the le'upper clamping bar of a binder embodying the invention; v

. Fig. 2 isl'aplan View of the interior of aclamping bar of a binder embodying the invention;

3 is an exploded View of the novel locking rod; Y i

, Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the locking rod, one of the clutches beingomitted;

Fig. 5 is a perspective viewsimilar to Fig. 4 of a modified form of locking rod;

Fig. 6 is 'a plan view similar to Fig. 2 of I the invention embodied in a center line type of'end locking post binder. l In one common type of loose leaf post 36 binderthere is a screw shaft or looking rod moving longitudinally in the upper clamping bar to force clutches against the posts. The locking rod is operated by a key inserted at one end of the clamping bar. In this type of construction the longitudinal movement of the clutches necessary to grip the posts is preferably obtained by mounting one of the clutches on threads on the locking' rod and then by turning the rod to move first one clutch and then the other against its post.

Heretofore this locking bar has generally been made of one integral, wire rod with a key receiving portioncut on one end, a recess out near that end for one clutch and with the other end threaded and shouldered for the other clutch. These shoulders, threadings and key receiving portions had to be made by machine tools and had to be accurately spaced in order that the locking rod might fit o the spacing of the posts and the length of the device.

1927. Serial No.- 201,140.

clamping bar. If the rod did not space the According to the present invention,instead of carrying an, assorted stock of sizes-of laboriously threaded and machined parts, a built-up construction is used in which the locking device is divided up intoseparate machined clutch and key-receiving units, of one standard size designed to be used for all sizes ofbinders and spacing elements ofplain bar stock such as strip or rod material which can be cut to'the desired length for each size of binder. With this type of construction it will be obvious. that a binder of any size can quickly be made up, merely by cutting'to proper length the plain strip elements and riveting them to the machined and threaded parts.

In Figs. 1 to upper clamping bar 11, the two posts 12 and 12 projecting therethrough, and clutches13 and 14 each presenting a curved edgeto the post it is intended to grip are illustrated. The locking device lieslengthwise insidethe clamping bar and is longitudinally movable therein. This movement is given by turning akey 15 which fits on to a squared key unit 16 on one end and forming part of the locking There is a hole in the end cap 17 of the clamping bar to give access tothis key unit. I prefer to make the spacing elements outof plai n stock such as rod or fiatstrip; material.

- 19 having slotted heads forming shoulders 20 on each end and is adaptedto carry a clutch '13 swivelled between the two shoulders.

The clutch consists of a strip folded around the rod and having a slot 24. through each of 5 of the drawings the usual 7 its leaves, which slots extend parallel to the clamping bar. These slots register with each other at one side of the rod and a pin 25 fixedly mounted in the clamping bar passes through the slots, thus limiting the clutch, as to longitudinal movement, to the extent of the slot.

At the other end of the locking device (that is not the key unit end) is another clutch unit 41 comprising a threaded clutch carrier 26 and a clutch 14 threaded thereon. Between the clutch unit 21 and the threaded clutch unit 41 is another spacing element 27 secured in the slots 22 and 22" and consisting of plain fiat strip or rod material as in the case of the other spacing element. The threaded clutch carrier 26 is a short piece of left-hand threaded rod with a slotted head forming a shoulder on one-end and the clutch 14 is made of a fiat strip folded around the rod and adapted to engage and be moved by the threads. This movement is limited by longitudinal slots 24 and a pin 25" in the same manner as the other clutch 13. These clutches lie between the two posts, each having a cut-away curved edge to lengthen the surface which grips the post. l Vhen the key is fitted on to the key unit 16 and'the locking device is given right-hand rotation, the clutch 14 moves along the threads on which it is mounted until it presses against its post. Continued revolution of the locking device thereafter moves the locking device endwise carrying the clutch 13, which is held by the shoulders 20 of the first clutch unit 21, against its post. In this way the upper clamping bar is locked against both posts.

It will be observed that by using this construction a factory need carry only one size of each part which has to be machined or fitted and that the spacing element of flat strip or red material need only be cut to length to make a binder of any desired size. This cutting to length can of course be done on a punch press with great rapidity, accuracy, and economy; any desired number of spacing elements being made of identically the same length. In this way. all question of variation in size of machined parts is completely avoided and it becomes possible readily to fill orders for any special sizes of binders no matter how the distances between the carrying' units may vary.

In Fig. 5 is shown a binder in which the spacing elements are made of round rod or strip material, and only one spacingelement is employed. This spacing element is a wire or red 28 running from the key unit 29 through a hole in the swivelled clutch 36 to the left-hand threaded clutch-carrying unit 31, being fastened in the key unit and threaded clutch-carrier by rivets as in the construction previously described. The swivelled clutch 36 is, in this case, operated by the collars 30, fastened on the rod 28 by set screws or rivets as desired. With this type of construction it is necessary to out only one spacing element for each binder, yet the spacing of the key unit and of the two clutch units is made as desired. Round material can of course be used without extending the spacing material through the swivelled clutch 36, that is, simply as a substitute for the flat sections 18, 27 of the Fig. 3 construction.

This invention is applicable not only to the offset type of' end' locking mechanism describedabove, but also to the center line type as shown in Fig. 6. In this type not only the clutches, but the center line of the entire looking device is aligned with the posts. The key unit 16 is identical with that shown in Figs. 1 to 4. In this construction there is a right hand threaded clutch carrier 32 on which is a yoke 33. The yoke is adjacent the key unit and is connected thereto and spaced therefrom by flat strip material as in the other modifications. The clutch itself is the V-head 37 carried on the end of the threaded portion 32 by the swivel connection 39. The yoke 33 carries a T head 34, slotted for reception of strip material connecting it to a plain yoke 35 having a V-clutch portion 38. Turning the key unit 16 will first cause the V- head clutch 37 to engage with its post, after which further turning of key unit 16 will cause yoke 33 to travel. to the right carrying with it yoke 35 until the V-clutch 38 engages its post. Still further turning will tighten the engagement of both clutches 37 and 38 with their respective posts, locking the clamping bar 11 securely in place. It is understood that in Fig. 6, round bar spacing members could be used in place of flat stock to connect elements 16, 32 and 34, 35 respectively. In-

this construction one clutch unit comprises the clutch carrier 32, clutch 37, yoke 33 and T-head 34, while the other clutch unit comprises the yoke 35.

What I claim is:

1. In a loose leaf post binder having a clamping bar, a locking device comprising a clutch unit, a key unit and separate means consisting of plain bar stock connecting said units.

2. In a loose leaf post binder having a clamping bar and posts therethrough, a looking device comprising separate key and clutch units and means consisting of plain bar stock spacing and connecting said units.

3. In a loose leaf post binder having a clamping bar, a key unit at one end of the clan'iping bar, a clutch unit near the other end of the clamping bar, and between said key unit and clutch unit, a second clutch unit, a

in combination with a separate spacing element of plain bar stock to which said key and clutch units are attached.

4. In a loose leaf post binder having a clamping bar and posts, therethrough, a locking device comprising a key unit and clutch units, one of said clutch units comprising a clutch carrier and a clutch swiveled thereon,

in combination with means consisting of means consisting of plain bar stock attached to said key unit and clutch carriers.

6. In a loose leaf post binder having a clamping bar and two posts therethrough, a locking device in said bar adjacent said posts and comprising a clutch for each post, a, threaded clutch carrier for one clutch and a shouldered clutch carrier adapted to carry the other clutch between its shoulders, means limiting the extent to which said clutches can move, a key unit for one end of the locking device and a piece'of plain bar stock at tached at its ends to said clutch carriers and a similar piece attached at the ends to said key unit and to one of said clutch carriers.

7. In a loose leaf post binder having a clamping bar and posts therethrough, a looking device comprising a key unit at one end of the clamping bar, a clutch unit nearthe other end of the clamping bar comprising a threaded clutch carrier and a clutch thereon, and between said key unit and clutch unit a second clutch unit, incombination with means consisting of plain bar stock spacing and connecting said units.

8. In a loose leaf post binder having a clamping bar and two posts therethrough, a locking device in said bar adjacent said posts and comprising a clutch unit for each post, and a key unit in combination with spacing elements attached to said key and clutch units, one clutch unit having a yoke.

9. In a loose leaf post binder having a clamping bar, a key unit at one end of the clamping bar, a clutch near the other end of the clamping bar, and between said key unit and said clutch a clutch unit comprising a clutch, a clutch carrier and a yoke in combination with spacing elements to which said key, clutch unit and first mentioned clutch are attached.

10. In a loose leaf post binder having a clamping bar, a key unit at one end of the CHARLES A. FINLEY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,843,871. Granted February 2, 1932, to

CHARLES A. FINLEY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 95, after the word "short" insert the words clutch carrier or; page 2, line 60, for "carrying unit" read carrier; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 26th day of April, A. D. 1932,

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

